‘They do owe me holiday. I could use that in lieu of my notice, so, say, two weeks?’
‘That would be great. I’ll ask for a reference from your current employer and then hopefully we can make this official.’
‘I’ll look forward to it,’ she said, before ending the call.
She sat for a while in a daze. She’d woken up this morning feeling as though her life was stuck and now her whole future was about to change. For the first time that day, Anna smiled. She might be jumping out of the frying pan into the fire, but she felt elated at the chance she was about to take.
She arrived back nearly an hour after she had left. Mark was pacing the reception area, looking angry and red in the face.
‘I thought I told you, you could only take half an hour for lunch?’
‘I’m entitled to a full hour and you have no right to stop me from taking it.’
‘Well, now that you’re back, I’m going to join my fiancée in celebrating our happy news.’
‘Oh,’ Anna said, pretending to look surprised. ‘Has she gone ahead without you?’
‘Please make sure you stay open until five. I don’t want you slacking just because we’re not here.’
‘Wouldn’t dream of it,’ she said with a smile.
She waited until she was sure Mark had left and wouldn’t be coming back before switching on her computer and writing her letter of resignation. After printing it off she folded it into an envelope and placed it on his desk where he would be sure to see it, first thing in the morning. Then she took a copy ofAmateur Photographerout of her bag and read it from cover to cover, relishing that she was skiving off work, just like they were. At five o’clock on the dot, she grabbed her coat and bag and locked up the gallery, a smile on her face.
The next morning, she arrived back at the gallery at two minutes to nine o’clock. Mark was in front of her, trying to unlock the door with unfamiliar keys.
‘You’re late,’ he said as she reached him.
She made a show of looking at her phone. ‘No, I’m not. I’ve got two minutes to spare.’
‘But you’re usually so early.’ The key turned in the lock and he pushed the door open. Anna moved inside to turn off the alarm.
When it was quiet once more, Anna said, ‘Well, maybe things are going to be different from now on.’
He frowned at her. ‘What does that mean?’
‘You’ll find out soon enough,’ she said. ‘No Jemima this morning?’
‘No, she’s, er, a little under the weather today. She might be in later.’
‘I see, a bit too much celebrating last night, then?’
‘Well, you only get engaged once,’ he replied, smiling smugly at her.
She turned her back on him and switched on her computer, imagining his expression when he opened the letter that was waiting for him on his desk.
She was scrolling through her emails when he stormed back into reception from his office, waving her letter at her.
‘What’s this all about?’
She turned to him and smiled sweetly. ‘I’d have thought that was quite obvious. It’s my letter of resignation.’
‘But you can’t go.’ He paused. ‘Why do you want to go? Is it because I’m engaged? Is the thought of me marrying someone else too much for you?’
‘No, it’s not because you’re engaged.’ It was a part-truth. ‘It’s because I’ve got a new job. A better one.’
‘What job? What could be better than this? The Whigmore is one of the most prestigious art galleries in the West End.’
‘Where I’m employed as a receptionist, on a receptionist’s wage, even though I’m the one who contributes most to therunning of it. Whereas you and Jemima are paid so much more than me for doing . . .’ She paused. ‘Tell me, what is it you actually do?’ She knew she was sailing close to the wind, but she’d spent so long biting back her words and her feelings and she wasn’t prepared to do it anymore.
